I am reading through Genesis in the ESV for the first time and was struck by some unfamiliar wording in Genesis 6:3. It reads: "My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years."

I checked about half a dozen or so other translations, and they all use strive with, contend with, or some similar variant rather than "abide in," except the RSV which agrees with the ESV.

I think the ESV/RSV reading is interesting and wonder if anyone can tell me anything about it's accuracy or the possible reasoning behind the choice?

1 Answer
1

According to the footnote in the NET Bible, the word used here is יָדוֹן (yadon), which only occurs here. Apparently, it might be derived from the word "strive" (din), but then it should have been יָדִין (yadin). The LXX translates it "remain with", which might be the real meaning of יָדוֹן (yadon). See footnote 5 at https://lumina.bible.org/bible/Genesis+6:3 and footnote 9 on page 128 in Reading and Re-Reading Scripture at Qumran